Penobscot Bay PressCommunity Information Services

News Feature

AugustaOriginally published in
Island Ad-Vantages, September 4, 2014
State planning grant to benefit Stonington

The Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry has awarded $158,874 in Municipal Planning Assistance Program grants to seven projects along the Maine coast. The funds, administered by the department’s Maine Coastal Program will support coastal habitat restoration, coastal hazards resilience, and storm water management, according to a news release.

The Hancock County Planning Commission received $31,582 for Adapting Stonington Working Waterfront: An Implementation Strategy for Resiliency in partnership with the Town of Stonington, Penobscot East Resource Center, and Maine Sea Grant Program. Stonington is Maine’s top port in terms of the value of commercial fishing landings. This project will assess the current vulnerability of waterfront infrastructure in Stonington to storm damage and flooding and will identify needed adjustments based on projected storm surges. The project will recommend a schedule of improvements, provide cost estimates, and identify funding sources.

Grant funds for this program are made possible through Maine’s federal coastal management award from the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). All of the projects include collaboration and partnerships, and each grantee will provide a minimum of 25 percent in matching funds or services.